Police Jury commits for Barksdale AFB entrance/exit

02/07/2018

Bossier Parish Police Jury
members have drafted a resolution of appreciation acknowledging the success of
state officials in securing funds for construction of a new entrance off I-20
and I-220 onto Barksdale Air Force Base.

Jury members also committed
Wednesday to pay a total of $3 million as its share of the $90 million project.
Bossier Parish will pay $250,000 a year for 12 years to cover its
commitment.

A total of 20 percent of the
overall cost of the construction ($18 million) must come from local
governments. The remainder will be paid by Bossier City ($3 million) and the North
Louisiana Council of Governments/MPO ($12 million).

During a January press
conference in Bossier City announcing funding for the project, Gov. John Bel
Edwards said Barksdale had no access from an interstate that runs parallel to
the base.

“That’s the number one
priority we have heard from the Air Force,” Edwards said at the conference. “We’re
going to fix that because it’s the right thing to do.”

Parish Attorney Patrick
Jackson said he was happy to see the police jury officially honoring the
efforts of Gov. Edwards and others who managed to direct funds to this area.

“This particular issue has
risen above all politics. Republicans and Democrats alike have supported this,”
Jackson said. “I appreciate you all giving the acknowledgement where it’s due
because without him getting this focus and money we would not be getting this.”

In other business Wednesday,
police jury members:

·Heard a report on plans to
celebrate the 175th anniversary of Bossier Parish.

·Awarded bids for the
demolition of nine homes that had been irreparably damaged during floods of
2015 and 1016.

·Approved the plat of a proposed
development of Tiger Pride subdivision, unit 1; and, approved the plat of
proposed development of Canal Place subdivision, unit 1.

·Approved setting public
hearings for potential approval of two minor plats, approval of the plat of
proposed development of Woodlake subdivision, unit 1-A.

·Set a public hearing to
consider the application of Lucy Conger to the Bossier City-Parish Metropolitan
Planning Commission for a zoning amendment; and, set a public hearing to
consider the application of the Benton-Parish MPC to adopt a new zoning map as
the official zoning map for the Benton-Parish MPC.

·Heard a report from the
jury’s policy and procedures committee meeting.

·Reappointed Doug Rogers to
the board of directors for Bossier Parish Communications District 1 for a
four-year term.

·Authorized completion of the
Louisiana Compliance Questionnaire in connection with the 2017 audit of the
Bossier Parish Police Jury financial records.

·Adopted a resolution
approving holding an election in East-Central Bossier Parish Fire District 1 on
April 28 to authorize renewal of a special tax in the district.

·Approved an agreement between
the police jury, the city of Bossier City and CJ Commercial Co., LLC, for the
purchase and sale of a lot in the Commerce Industrial Park, Unit 2.

·Authorized a letter of
support for modification to the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway to deepen the
authorized channel from nine feet to 12 feet.

·Accepted streets and drainage
in Waterford Bend subdivision and in Waterford Lake subdivision into the parish
road system for permanent maintenance.

·Accepted a proposal from
David Volentine for appraisal of property located adjacent to Parish Camp.

·Approved a change order for
road and drainage improvement.

·Adopted a resolution to
authorize and/or ratify the police jury to acquire and/or expropriate all
parcels, tracts, properties or servitudes required for construction and
completion of the Bossier North/South corridor from the I-220/Swan Lake Rd.
interchange to Crouch Rd.

·Learned that local contractor
Best Yet was the apparent low bidder at roughly $14.9 million for the Swan Lake
Rd. project, and that FEMA had obligated for a timber bridge replacement on
Kelly Rd.